Apparatus for generating gas.



A TTOHNEY PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. v 1

PARKER.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1904.

GEORGE W. PARKER,

Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 787,539, dated April 18, 1905.

I Application filed February 1, 1904. Serial No. 191,453.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PARKER,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the boroughof Manhattan, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Gas, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to apparatuses for distilling coal and like substances in which the retorts employed are vertical or substantially vertical as distinguished from inclined or substantially horizontal retorts.

1n vertical retorts where a central tube is employed to collect the gas or for any other purpose the coke or residuum, which is left after the distillation of coal, for instance, and which is ordinarily discharged from the bottom of the retorts, is liable'to stick to the central tube, and thereby to become prevented from being readily discharged when the cover or under support is removed after the distilf lation has ceased.

It is therefore one of the objects of this invention to provide a central tube for collecting the gas in retorts of this character,which tube shall be adapted to collapse when the bottom cover is removed from the end of its retort, and thereby assist the coke or other residuum to discharge.

Other objects of the invention consistin providing a particular suspension device for the central tube and in centering the'retorts with respect to each other and with respect to their contained tubes.

The invention is illustrated in and will be described with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in central vertical section of one of the retorts of an apparatus to which the invention relates, the central tube and bottom shield of the retort being shown in elevation; and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the inner tube.

For purposes of illustration and explanation it is sufficient to show one of the vertical retorts of the apparatus. Each retort may be provided with flanges a, which extend wholly or partly around the same and upon which the collars b, separating the retorts from each other, can rest. 7 Within each retort, and preferably centrally disposed, is a tube for collecting the distilled gas, which is conducted from the top of the retort to a supply-reservoir (not shown) by a tube 0. The central tube, in accordance with the invention, is composed of longitudinal sections 61, of which there may be any number (here four) and which are independent of each other. As shown in the drawings, they are normally separated by spaces e,being hung at proper distances from each other upon a short tube f in any suitable manner.

The lower ends of the several sections of the central tube are received in asuitable centering-frame 9, formed upon the bottom shield it, which is attached to the bottom cover 2' of the retort. The portion of the frame which receives the ends of the sections is made tapering, as indicated by dotted lines, so that i bottom cover is secured to a lever j, the free end of which engages a fastening device (indicated at k) and the other end of which is hinged to a bottom plate Z. Each retort preferably rests upon one of these bottom plates, which is provided with a rib or flange m, extending around the plate and of the same shape'as the outside of the retortthat is, circular if the retorts are round, &c. Each retort rests within the corresponding flange and is therefore centered with respect to the other retorts, and inasmuch as the cover is hinged to the bottom plate each retort will be also centered when the cover is in place with respect to its central tube. The short tube f, towhich the several sections forming the central tube are secured, is itself secured to the top of the retort in such a way as to be slidable horizontally in order to disengage the same from the top of the retort. For this purpose the tube f is provided with a flange n upon each side thereof, which flanges engage grooves 0 in corresponding guides 19, secured to the top of the retort. In this way by making the guides 19 of the proper length the tube f may be hauled to one side of the retort, when it will become disengaged from the top of the retort, and the central tube, together with the tube f, if unsupported from the bottom, will drop from the retort. The tube f may be reached through the cover 7, which is provided for filling the retort, and an opening .9 in the tube f may be provided, into which a tool may be inserted when it is desired to remove the central tube.

It will be understood that the retorts may be of any shape. In the present case the retort is shown as tapering slightly toward the top, so that the mass within the retort will have a slightly tapering exterior. When the mass is being discharged from the retort, the lower ends of the tube-sections will be drawn together by theweight of the mass, and if the upper ends of the tube-sections are made collapsible, as they may or may not be, the weight of the mass will cause the sections to approach each other throughout their entire lengths.

I claim as my invention 1. In an apparatus for distilling coal and the like, the combination of a substantially vertical retort, and a tube constructed to collapse Within the retort for collecting the gas.

2. In an apparatus for distilling coal and the like, the combination of a substantially vertical retort, and a tube constructed to collapse hung in the center of the retort and adapted to receive the gas as it is distilled.

3. In an apparatus for distilling coal and the like, the combination of a substantially vertical retort tapering toward the top, and a tube constructed tocollapse within the retort for collecting the gas.

4.. In an apparatus for distilling coal and the like, the combination of a substantially vertical retort, and a tube within the retort for collecting the gas, said tube comprising a plurality of longitudinal sections independent of each other and normally separated by spaces through which the gas may enter the tube.

5. In an apparatus for distilling coal and the like, the combination of a substantially vertical retort, a collapsible tube Within the retort composed of a plurality of longitudinal sections, a tube at the upper portion of the retort to which the sections are secured, and means in the lower portion of the retort to center the sections.

6. In an apparatus for distilling coal and the like, the combination with asupply-reservoir and asubstantially vertical retort having a cover upon its lower end, of a collapsible tube Within the retort, and a horizontallyslidable tube in the upper portion of the re tort and communicating With the supply-reservoir.

7. In an apparatus for distilling coal and the like, the combination of a substantially vertical retort, a tube suspended within the retort to collect the gas, a cover upon the bottom of the retort, and means upon the cover to center the tube.

Thisspecification signed and witnessed this 22d day of January, A. D. 1904:.

GEORGE W. PARKER.

In presence of D. A. SAWDRY, PAUL A. BENSON. 

